HUMAN TOUCH IN HEALTHCARE

Healthcare must prioritize empathy, not efficiency, for better patient experience, moving from cost center to core strategy, argues author

- Vijay Sethi

When we woke up earlier this year in 2024, we already had a hangover of artificial intelligence (AI), chatgpt, et al, as emerging game changers in almost every business. Healthcare is no less affected and is witnessing the transformation through this digital tsunami. As my LinkedIn colleague Dr Geeta Nayyar mentions, "Limitless AI potential awaiting in the Healthcare space. The term 'patient' is intertwined with the doctor-patient relationship in the healthcare industry."

However, the modern healthcare experience extends far beyond this traditional dynamic, involving a complex web of stakeholders. The evolution of Customer (CX) / patient experience (PX) has seen various waves, from TQM to CRM, CSI, CX, and now, it eagerly anticipates the next variant as Colin Shaw says, and potentially rooted in behavioral science.

Improving patient experience has proved to be a perpetual challenge in an industry marked by rapid innovations. Solutions that were cutting-edge yesterday become obsolete today as quickly as content on the streaming platforms. Despite the clear understanding that patient experience is key to sustain in the healthcare business, there is this conspicuous and constant dilemma over Profitability vs patient experience and to add to this, is the dehumanization of the processes.